The present invention relates to the packaging of smoking articles such as cigarettes into cartons, and in particular, to the packing of packages of cigarettes into cartons such that the individual packages can be readily tax stamped.
It is common practice to ship and store cigarette packages in cartons. Conventional or standard cigarette cartons ordinarily hold ten packages, each package containing about 20 cigarettes. The packages are usually arranged in two relatively superposed rows of 5 packages each. Such standard cartons completely encase the cigarette packages and are provided with glued flaps. Examples of cartons for ten packages of cigarettes are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,752,308 to Begemann; 4,738,359 to Phillips, Jr., and 4,903,844 to Oglesby.
Individual jurisdictions require the application of a tax stamp to each package of cigarettes sold in the respective jurisdiction. Typically, the distributor or jobber in the jurisdiction receives the cartons from the manufacturer, unseals the flap of carton which is sealed with a fugitive adhesive, applies the tax stamp to each package of cigarettes, and then recloses and reseals the carton. In order to minimize the time, labor and expense associated with tax stamping of the packages within the carton, various automated tax marking or stamping machines have been developed. Such tax marking machines automatically print or otherwise affix tax stamps to packages within the carton. Tax stamping machines which are most commonly employed by distributors and jobbers include ADCO Automatic Heat Transfer Decalomanic Stamping Machine which is available from American Decal & Mfg. Co., Chicago, Ill.; Cigarette Tax Stamp Applying Machine which is available from Meyercord, Carol Stream, Ill.; and Cigarette Tax Machine which is available from Pitney Bowes, Stamford, Conn. Accordingly, the dimensions and construction of the standard cigarette carton have been established by the tax stamping machinery customarily employed by the distributors, wholesalers and jobbers who tax mark the cigarette packages prior to retail sale.
A manufacturer desiring to provide cigarette packages in non-standard size or shape cartons is forced to pay to have the individual packages hand tax stamped. Alternatively, the manufacturer can package cigarette packages in standard cartons for tax stamping and handling, and then manually load the tax stamped packages into non-standard size or shape cartons. However, a manual method for providing non-standard size or shape cartons of packaged cigarettes is time consuming, laborious and expensive.
As disclosed in Modern Packaging, (1947), half carton packs are provided using a three sided paperboard collar and cellophane wrap such that the bottom of the cigarette packages are exposed for tax stamping. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,359 to Phillips, Jr., cigarette packages can be contained in half cartons which can be tax stamped while in a master carton and later removed from the master carton for sale. Other methods for packaging cigarette packages into cartons which are divisible into smaller units are proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,809,227 to Begemann; 4,631,900 to Mattei, et al.; 4,928,817 to Focke and 4,932,534 to Focke, et al.
Occasionally, manufacturers desire to market cartons containing five packages of cigarettes. Such cartons are similar in design to the standard cartons, but only contain 1 row of 5 packages. However, such cartons have not achieved any appreciable commercial success. In particular, five package cartons having a configuration comparable to standard cigarette cartons have had a top flap configuration. The top flap has required that the packages of such cartons be tax stamped by hand or that the tax stamped packages be manually loaded in the carton.
It would be desirable to provide a manner or method for efficiently and effectively packaging cigarettes in divisible cartons (e.g., half cartons) which in turn are provided from standard size cartons of conventional shape or configuration. In particular, it would be desirable for the cigarette manufacturer to efficiently and effectively provide cigarette packages contained within standard cartons for tax stamping using conventional automatic or semi-automatic tax stamping machinery, which standard cartons have the capability of being divisible into half cartons.